The Legend of Spyro: Wrath of the Dark Master
by Maria Seinheart
Summary: Inspired by Age of Mythology, this story takes place 5 years after Spyro saved to the world. A mission to stop the return of Malefor goes awry and two worlds collided as a result. The Dragon Realms and their new allies must work together to combat the threat of the new Dark Army before they subjugate the Realms and Ancient Earth under their control.
1. Chapter 1

**The Legend of Spyro: Wrath of Dark Master**

* * *

_The Black Baron and his cult the Children of Malefor were ready to sacrifice 666 dragon souls to the Altar of Malefor but a last minute intervention by Spyro and Cynder disrupted the ceremony._

* * *

Chapter 1

"Is this it?" Cynder asked.

"This is it," Spyro answered with a nod.

Before the two dragons was the mouth of Twilight Cavern, a cave that was once used by the dragons as a place to mine spirit gems. Located at the east coast of Dragon Realms, the cavern was long abandoned during the reign of Cynder as Terror of the Skies. Twilight Caverns was unaffected by destruction and reconstruction of the world and the place remained the same. To the average creature, the caverns were nothing interesting but to a dragon, it was a place full of ambient power. It was what the Children of Malefor needed.

It was the perfect place to conduct dark rituals.

The Children of Malefor were composed mostly of orc and grublin remnants but a few of the Black Baron's followers were dragons who were misled into thinking that Malefor was a god and the bringer of a new world order. After the war, the Children of Malefor was a small and insignificant group that warranted no attention from the Supreme Dragon Council. When they stepped up their activities and started building statues of Malefor in towns they took over, the Council took action.

By then though, it was too late, the Black Baron had spread his influence to half of the fledgling settlements by use of force and dark arts. In an act of ultimate atrocity, he reaped the souls of dragons to fill the Chalice of Souls. They were to be used for opening a portal to the Underworld so Malefor could escape. The fact that it directly bypassed Convexity unnerved everyone in the council. Such a portal could potentially flood the realms with creatures of the damned and demons of unimaginable power.

"C'mon, we have to stop the Black Baron before he can accomplish anything," Spyro said.

"I'm right behind you, Spyro," Cynder said.

After being away for nearly five years, Spyro was told by the Chronicler to return to New Warfang to assist the dragons in a crisis. He was reluctant at first because he had planned to settle down with Cynder to start a family since the war was over but after realizing what was at stake, Spyro convinced Cynder to go with him to resolve the crisis. They appeared before the surprised Council and immediately, they sent the two to deal with the Black Baron while the Council sent armies elsewhere to deal with orcs and grublins rampaging throughout the realms.

The sudden return of Spyro and Cynder during a time of crisis had people hailing them as miracles sent by the heavenly powers but their return was not celebrated with even the slightest amount of fanfare. The citizens of New Warfang were weary of war and they were all too busy rebuilding their lives. It was perfectly fine with the two young dragons because they needed no celebrations and their return was not all that triumphant anyway. After disappearing for so long, many thought they were dead.

Before they left the colony of New Warfang to pursue the Black Baron and his cult, the blacksmiths fashioned the two dragons two suits of armor. They were just simple leather armor sandwiched between steel plates but some protection was better than nothing at all. The body armor, it was surprisingly light and did not restrict mobility as much as a knight's armor. Despite the lack of time to create good armor, the blacksmith gave the two armors some aesthetic differences. For Spyro armor, it was bulkier and his helmet covered most of his face. For Cynder, her armor was sleeker and her helmet covered the top and both sides of her head.

"My belly feels itchy," Cynder muttered while attempting to scratch her belly unsuccessfully. "I didn't think it was sensitive to metal."

"Would you like to take it off?" Spyro asked.

"I can manage it. A little itch is nothing," Cynder said.

The cave was unnaturally dark. The torches that lined the cave walls gave a very weak glow even though it looked like as if the fire was burning brightly. The thick air made breathing a laborious task but the two dragons soldiered on into the gaping darkness. They passed by several spirit gems which the two took advantage of to replenish their magic. Spirit gems were plenty during the last age and they had seen an exponential growth after Spyro restored the world. Post-restoration gems were somewhat larger and contained more life force in them. They were so because thousands of dragons were killed and their life force gathered in the gems so as to aid the next generation of dragons.

Looking around, Spyro and Cynder saw rusty old tools on the ground. They were probably left behind by the dragon harvesters when they abandoned the cave. In the distance, water dripping into puddles translated into loud echoes and the screeching of bats added to the ambiance of the cave. Cave moss grew in areas that were moist and they made the ground so slippery that the two dragons had to fly over them. Following the trail of the cult was easy because there were fresh footprints on the ground.

As they went deeper into the cave, they heard chanting and rhythmic drum rolls that synced with the chants. At first, the drum rolls and chants were slow. They slowly picked up pace and the slow chants became fast mantras. Wasting no time, Spyro and Cynder raced towards source of the sounds, their armors clanking as steel plates struck against steel plates. Spyro hoped that they were not too late to stop whatever rituals the Black Baron was conducting. The sounds of clanking armor and heavy footsteps on the rocky ground reverberated throughout the cave but it was not loud enough to drown out the sounds of chanting. It was unnatural.

Finally, Spyro and Cynder reached the source of the sounds. In a circular chamber of limestone, a group of five dragons and a dozen grublins and orcs were gathered in a circle with an altar in the middle. Standing in front of the altar was a large black dragon wearing a dragon skull over his head. He had an amulet with a blood red gem in the middle. He looked like he was ready to put a silver chalice on the altar so Spyro gave a shout to get his attention. The Black Baron stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly to face Spyro.

"You," he said, "you two're supposed to be dead. How is it that you're alive?" he asked.

"Maybe it's not our time yet," Cynder answered. "Give it up, Black Baron, your evil ways stop here."

"My evil ways?!" the Black Baron exclaimed and laughed. "My ways are willed by the Dark Master. You will never understand what I've seen."

"I don't have to," Spyro remarked. "Malefor's intentions evil and there's no changing that. Stop all these madness before you destroy us all by releasing him."

"It's too late, Spyro. I have the souls I need to open a gateway to the Underworld. You may have defeated my lord but as long as his followers still live, you'll never have total victory. I will see to it. Those who believe in him and follow him shall be spared from his wrath." The Black Baron's eyes wandered towards Cynder and gave her a dark grin. "My master's willing to forgive you for betraying him. Why don't you join us?"

Cynder frowned and snarled at him. "No! Malefor's caused enough pain towards me. He's not my master!"

"Such a waste that a pretty dragoness like you chose to live with that whelp," the Black Baron said. "Fine, if neither of you refuse to concede and go away, then you'll die. Get them!"

The orcs and grublins didn't need telling twice to leap into action. They formed a semi-circle to protect the Black Baron and his dragon acolytes while the continued with the ritual. Instead of taking on the two dragons together, the orcs and grublins attacked them two at a time to avoid unnecessary losses. They were tenacious in protecting the Black Baron and Spyro suspected that they were being empowered. Instead of using weapons of wood and stone, they used steel weapons and wore armors plating over their bodies.

"They're trying to wear us down!" Spyro called put to Cynder while pushing away a grublin brandishing a steel mace. "We have to take the offensive instead of letting them take us on individually!"

"I'm way ahead of you, Spyro!" Cynder said with a cheeky grin and she dashed past her opponent and rammed a group of orcs behind it. They were caught unaware and the ram sent three of them flying into the air. "How'd you like me now?" she said.

A few of the dragon acolytes looked worried as they saw Spyro and Cynder breaking through but none of them dared interrupt the Black Baron. He had placed the chalice on the altar and had begun chanting some words. The acolytes siphoned their magical energies into the Black Baron so he could use the souls in the chalice to open a gateway to the Underworld. The wails and cries of unwilling souls filled the air as they flowed from the chalice like smoke. The Black Baron then directed the souls towards the back of the altar where they aqua blue wisps swirled like a vortex.

"He's creating the portal!" Cynder shouted in alarm. While she was distracted, an orc smashed her with a steel war hammer. She felt some bones in her body break and the internal injury made her cough up blood.

"Cynder! No!" Spyro exclaimed with wide eyes.

He wanted to rush to Cynder's aid but the ever enlarging Underworld portal caught his attention. Spyro wanted to save Cynder and stop the ritual but Cynder waved Spyro away and pointed at the portal. Spyro hesitated but after a while, he nodded his head and rushed towards the Black Baron. One of the orcs threw its axe at Spyro but he rolled sideways and the axe struck one of the acolytes in the back of the head. With one acolyte dead, the Black Baron felt some power flow out of him.

"Keep them away from the acolytes, you fools!" the Black Baron shouted angrily at the orcs and grublins. "Keep your concentration," he said to the rest of the acolytes.

Cynder was too hurt to fight and Spyro was being surrounded from all sides. Thinking fast, the black dragoness saw a large pebble next to her. She grabbed it and threw it towards the direction of the Black Baron. Somehow, by some stroke of luck from the gods, the pebble sailed over the crowd and struck the chalice placed on the altar. The Chalice of Souls tipped over and the remaining dragon souls in the chalice evaporated like steam. Without a continuous stream of souls to feed the forming portal, it quickly destabilized.

"No, you fools, you just doomed us all!" the Black Baron shouted in an uncontrollable rage.

The unstable portal pulsated. It expanded and contracted rapidly and the energy in the chamber felt electric. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Some of the acolytes and orcs ran but the grublins stayed on, waiting for orders from the Black Baron. Spyro rushed to help Cynder while the Black Baron stared at the portal with his mouth agape, not knowing what to do. The remaining orcs and acolytes were dumbstruck as well.

"My Lord, we have to leave here!" one of the acolytes said.

"I'm not leaving! I've come too far to fail! Give me more power! I'll try to stabilize the portal before it implodes!" the Black Baron remarked.

There was no way he could stabilize such a powerful portal and the acolytes knew it. Instead of siphoning their powers to the Baron, they removed their robes and fled the scene. The Baron made up his mind to stay on and he used his powers to combat the fluctuating portal. Meanwhile, Spyro was carrying Cynder on his back. He stripped off her armor to make her easier to carry but the portal was creating such a powerful suction that Spyro found it hard to take a step forward without being dragged a few feet backwards.

Some of the orcs and grublins tried to prevent the two dragons from leaving but Cynder covered Spyro's back by breathing poison at their pursuers. Her exposure to darkness in the past had bestowed her with unnatural healing abilities. Her internal wounds had partly regenerated in a short amount of time and she was feeling slightly stronger but was still too weak to stand up and fight. She clung on to Spyro so she would not get sucked by the ever growing suction.

Spyro dug his claws into the dirt to gain more grip but he used up so much energy in just trying to grip the ground that he could not go an inch forward. Then, something strange happened. He saw flashes of blue light appearing and disappearing around him. In some of the flashing lights that happened near him, he heard voices and conversations. One flash that happened in front of him puzzled him. He thought he saw something looking at him with an equally puzzled look before the flash disappeared.

"I…must!" was the last thing the Black Baron said before the entire chamber was engulfed in a flash of bright light as the portal imploded with such tremendous force that the cave entrance collapsed and most of the spirit gems in the cave shattered into a million pieces as the portal emitted a supernatural shockwave.

The disintegrating body of the Black Baron was the last thing Spyro and Cynder saw before their visions were engulfed by the white light.

* * *

_A/N: I finally have a Spyro fic that I think is worth writing. All I can say is that I'm inspired by Age of Mythology. If you know the premise of the game, you'll know where the story will take place. Reviews are greatly appreciated._

* * *

Choices

In the next chapter, Spyro and Cynder will be in a different world. Where would you like them to end up in?

a. Greece

b. Egypt

c. Scandinavia

d. Atlantis


	2. Chapter 2

**The Legend of Spyro: Wrath of the Dark Master**

* * *

_The blinding light was the last thing Spyro and Cynder saw after they disrupted the Black Baron's ritual to open a portal to the Underworld. Unbeknownst to the young dragons, their actions unleashed a great cataclysm on a global scale._

* * *

Chapter 2

Coldness.

The sensation on Spyro's scales was overwhelming. It was as if somebody had dumped a mound of snow over his body. He tried to move but something heavy held him down. It crushed him so hard that Spyro found it hard to breathe. For a while Spyro laid still in total darkness, his breathing labored caused by the heavy weight that weighed down on his limp body.

"Spyro, wake up," a voice called out to him.

Spyro saw the darkness around him dissolve into an astral plane of stars and nebulae that decorated the night sky. He found himself standing on an earthen platform. A comet streaked high above his head like a ball of bright light which disappeared over the horizon. There was something about the place that seemed familiar.

"Hello, Chronicler, is that you?" Spyro asked while looking around.

"Yes, Spyro, it is me. I'm happy to see that you're well and alive," the Chronicler's voice responded.

"What's the point of that when some evil dragon who wants to resurrect Malefor? I've saved the world only for it to be ruined by the Black Baron," Spyro said with a tinge of unhappiness in his voice.

"The world's not in ruins yet," the Chronicler corrected. "But it is close. Spyro, I understand you're unhappy and all you wanted was to settle down in peace. It's a good goal but sometimes, there's just no rest for the good and weary."

"Then I guess it's better if we're dead. I'm tired of playing the hero and putting Cynder in danger," Spyro said.

"Many share your sentiment, young dragon, but it is a fact of life that we have to face. You have the heart of a hero and not many can be like you. You care for people and you strive to do the right thing."

"Guess what, I'm tired of it!" Spyro shouted in sudden anger. "Just five years of peace and this is what we all get. Maybe Malefor's doing us a favor back then."

"You musn't think like that, Spyro," the Chronicler said in an ever patient voice. "Darkness will be darkness and that was what Malefor ever saw through his eyes. Stay strong, young dragon, I will guide you always as I've done so when you were younger."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Spyro asked with eyes wide with surprise.

The Chronicler did not answer. Instead of putting Spyro through an obstacle course like before, the Chronicler sent Spyro back to reality in a flash of blinding white light that engulfed the night sky. Spyro shielded his eyes from the flash and he felt his body being pulled back by some unseen force. As if life flooded back into him, Spyro opened his eyes suddenly with a loud gasp coming from his mouth.

He was looking at the sky. It was light grey in color and snow fell from the heavens like tiny balls of fluff. Spyro saw weak rays of sunlight shine through cracks in the cloud layer. He also noticed that the armor he wore earlier was gone. He reckoned that the blast from the unstable portal had stripped it off him. Not far from where he was, two black ravens with red eyes were looking at him. Their caws caught Spyro's attention but when he turned to look at them, the two ravens flew away and disappeared into a nearby coniferous forest.

"Where am I? How did I get here?" Spyro muttered while surveying his surroundings slowly. "Cynder?" Spyro said when he saw that Cynder was not with him.

Spyro stood up and found that his balance was off. His vision blurred and swam around as if he had drunk three tankards of dragon wine. Spyro could not walk three steps without falling onto the ground. He reasoned that it may have been caused by the implosion of the portal since powerful magical energies tended to have a strong effect on dragons. He lay on the snowy ground and waited for a while for his vision to recover.

He heard footsteps in the snow. It was faint but it was loud enough so that Spyro could discern the source of the sound. He sat up slowly and allowed his head to clear for a bit. Confident that there the magic effect was gone, Spyro walked towards the source of the sound. It came from the forest and as Spyro got closer, he heard conversations. The voices sounded rough by certainly not as rough as an Ape talking.

From the corner of his eye, Spyro saw little creatures walking through the forest. They were squat and heavily bearded. The creatures were a foot taller than Spyro and their armor and body size made them look bulky and menacing. There were four of them in the group. The two in the front carried a brown sack over their shoulders while the two at the back had an axe and a hammer respectively.

"We best be moving quick," one of the creatures said. "Don't wanna get caught in an ambush."

"I'm moving as fast as I can," the creature with the axe said. "Try carrying a meteorite weapon while runnin'."

"Ye're just givin' excuses," the one with the hammer said dismissively. "I have a meteorite hammer and I'm not complainin'."

Spyro was intrigued. They certainly looked a bit like Apes except they were far shorter, bulkier, and no fur on their bodies. These creatures had big and sharp noses while the Apes had long maws. If they were not Apes, then what were they? They had not seen Spyro but he was not about to reveal himself to them just yet lest they proved to be hostile. He followed them close enough so he could keep up with them but far enough so they do not hear him stalking them. Every once in a while, the two armed creatures at the back would stop to look back and see if anything followed them but Spyro gracefully hid behind bushes and boulders without making too much noise.

"Hey, Buri, I think somethin's followin' us," the creature with the hammer said.

Buri turned to look at a boulder behind him. While his companion had stopped the group for the time being, Buri approached the boulder with his axe drawn. Slowly, he approached the boulder and looked around it. He saw nothing but a lost fawn sitting in the snow, bleating and calling for its mother.

"There's nothin' there, Bildr. It's just a lost fawn," said Buri. "Ye must have one tankard too much," he added with a chuckle.

"I think it's what we need. We've got plenty in our hands now that some evil force has decided to invade our lands," Bildr muttered.

Spyro had hid himself behind a nearby snow mound and he overheard the creatures talking. His mind started raising questions. He assumed that he was not in Dragon Realms anymore but there was no way to know for sure. His main concern now was to look for Cynder before looking for answers. With the creatures out of earshot but not out of sight, Spyro trailed them again.

* * *

Cynder thought she was dead.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was darkness. It did not take her long to realize she was in a cave. A brown wool blanket covered her body and her head was rested on a rolled up fur rug. She sniffed the air and smelled smoke. Sitting up slowly, she saw a campfire not far from her, its dying embers emitted a soft orange-red glow beneath a black iron kettle. Cynder's armor was gone but her wounds from the previous battle had healed quite well. Her wounded abdomen was wrapped with white dressing that reeked with the smell of strong-smelling herbs.

She thought it was Spyro who had looked after her while she was out cold but he was not with her. Thinking that he went out hunting for food, Cynder laid her head down on the rug while she waited for his return. The cave felt rather cold and there were some firewood nearby. She removed the kettle from the campfire and threw some in some firewood. She then ignited the firewood with her fire breath. The satisfactory sound of crackling fire and the bright fire glow made her smile. She then turned to see what was boiling in the kettle. When she opened the lid, a sweet aroma filled her nostrils.

"Ah, dragon's tongue herb," she said with a smile. "Spyro really knows what I love."

Before she could help herself to some dragon's tongue, Cynder heard the loud echoes of footsteps resounding throughout the cave. She frowned. The footsteps sounded too heavy, like someone wearing iron boots and the footsteps sounded like a group instead of an individual coming. Sensing danger, Cynder quickly put out the fire by pouring the herbal drink on it and placed the kettle back onto the campfire. She then went back to her sleeping spot and pretended to sleep.

The footsteps got louder and louder until Cynder could hear more than footsteps. She heard the sounds of armor plating rubbing against armor plating and ongoing conversations. If they were here to kill her, she was definitely in a very vulnerable position. There was no other way out from the chamber she was in. Perhaps if she pretended to sleep, they would leave her alone. If someone has decided to strike her, her scales could withstand a few blows but she feared that there were archers among the intruders. If she showed her vulnerable abdomen, a single arrow to the heart was enough to kill her.

"Two years, Sigurd, two years we've tried to retake Geatland. If we prolong our pointless war any longer, we'll run out of food to feed our troops," Cynder heard someone said.

"If you're suggesting that we abandon our efforts to rescue Lord Beowulf, I'm afraid I cannot comply. I owe him my life after he rescued me from the black dragon that attacked the Yggdrasil," said Sigurd.

"Don't be a fool. I'll never abandon Lord Beowulf. All I'm suggesting is that we change our approach. If we can somehow lure them away from Geatland, we can ambush the city and rescue Lord Beowulf."

"Is that why you insisted on keeping a black dragon with us? Do you really think that the black dragon we have is related to the black dragon that attacked the Yggdrasil?"

"They're both black. If this black dragon here is related to your attacker, then perhaps we can draw it away from Geatland if we threaten to kill its offspring. No guarantee it'll work but we have to try."

Cynder's heart raced when she heard the conversation. Then, the chamber was filled with light. It no doubt came from torches and that meant that her captors were in the chamber with her. She continued to pretend to be asleep.

"I don't see why you should care for the offspring of a dragon, Sigurd. It'll cause us nothing but trouble."

Sigurd did not answer as he approached Cynder. He knelt by her side and drew his weapon. Cynder opened her eyes lightly so she could see what Sigurd was doing. She saw him use a burnished sword to remove the blanket from her body. Cynder was angry that they related her to a black dragon she assumed to be the Black Baron. She was nothing like him and the Black Baron had no offspring. She was quick to realize that her captors were not Apes but the presence of several armed warriors did not inspire any confidence to reveal her identity yet.

"I know you're awake, dragon. You can stop pretending," Sigurd said softly.

Cynder was reluctant to admit it but delaying things would only cause more trouble. Slowly, she opened her eyes and faked a look like as if she really had just woken up.

"Can't a lady have some sleep?" she said.

"You had your sleep," Sigurd said. "You better follow us."

"Follow you, where?" Cynder asked.

One of Sigurd's companions got impatient and drew his sword with the intention of striking Cynder but Sigurd pointed his sword at him.

"She's mine to deal with. Put your sword away," he said calmly. He then turned his attention to Cynder again. "You're coming with us to Halogaland. We intend to draw your parent there so we could slay him. If you work with me, I won't kill you."

It was her chance to prove that she was not with the Black Baron.

"You can kill the Black Baron for all I care. Also, he's not related to me. He's my enemy as well," Cynder said flatly.

Sigurd's companions gasped with surprise but Sigurd's expression remained straight. The side of his mouth curved into a smile and he nodded his head slowly. He stood up and kept his weapon.

"I figured this much. I had a feeling that you were not evil. Call it a…intuition," Sigurd said. "My name's Sigurd."

"I'm Cynder. What are you anyway?"

It was a question that surprised Sigurd. He thought that every creature knew what a human was but apparently, Cynder was different. He furrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought for a while before responding to Cynder.

"I'm a human. Do you know what a human is?"

"I can't say I know, Sigurd," Cynder said truthfully. "Where am I anyway? Am I still in Dragon Realms?"

Sigurd shook his head. "If there's where you're from, I'm afraid you're quite far from home. You're now in the outskirts of Lillehammer. Pray tell, Cynder, who is this Black Baron? How did you come here?"

"That, Sigurd, we can talk over a cup of dragon's tongue," Cynder said and smiled.

* * *

Malefor was smiling. It has been a while since he had a reason to smile at all. Everything did not go according as planned earlier but the cataclysm caused by Cynder's actions had proved to be rather beneficial. Now, he had more allies and better methods of attaining godhood.

He was intrigued by the new world that was slowly merging with Dragon Realms. Soon, both worlds would become one and he was ready to crown himself ruler of both worlds. Malefor remembered how he was defeated in the hands of an opponent he deemed weak. He was determined not to make the same mistake again by underestimating any opponents.

He was the sole leader during the Dark War he waged on Dragon Realms years ago. Now, he had intelligent and reliable allies to assist him in his ascension. Out from the darkness of his prison came three gods offering Malefor their allegiance. The first one had the body of a human and the head that resembled a cross between a jackal and an aardvark. The second one was a shape shifter but he preferred to remain in the form of a human. The third god also took on the form of a human but he had fire for hair and his hands were perpetually on fire.

"We offer our allegiance to you," said the first one.

"But in return," the second god continued.

"We want you to vanquish our enemies," the third one concluded in a booming voice.

Malefor chuckled evilly. "Yes, my comrades, I can promise you that but I need all the help I can get. I've failed once in my goal before and I will not fail this time."

"Your failure only turned the wheels of fate in our favor. Though we may be from different worlds, fate goes beyond our boundaries. You are now part of our war," the first god said.

"We cannot break you free from your prison but we can help your chosen retainer who'se fighting in your name," the third god remarked.

"We shall assign him an oracle and from the oracle, our blessings shall flow upon your followers. Invoke our powers and we shall help smite your enemies," the second god added.

Yes, Malefor had every reason to smile. Fate was indeed on his side now.

* * *

_A/N: I suck at introductions but I promise that future chapters would be better now that we've done introducing humans to dragons. The names of the antagonist gods will be revealed in later chapters. If any of you are familiar with the geography and history of Scandinavia, I would like to hear from you as well so I can write the story more accurately. This is not a history lesson and some events are completely fictional for story purposes._


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